Anyone told not to use facial stimulator?

[MKLady]

Has anyone been told that an electic facial stimulator (not sure what the technical name is and it is actually battery operated) is not recommended and can actually be harmful?  I was told this would keep my facial muscles from being stiff when the nerve regenerated and I have been using it for months.  However, I read somwhere recently that some therapists don't recommend it.  I have since stopped using it and now have slight movement at the corner of my mouth.  My fear is that this has been keeping the facial nerve from healing and I've done damage that can't be undone.  Perhaps if I had not been using it I would be further along.  Any thoughts......

[CROOKEDSMILE]

This is from the Bell's Palsy website and also what I was told by my facial retraining specialist who does NOT recommend E-stim. Although it talks about in relation to Bell's Palsy I have been told that it is the same for any facial nerve injury.

Electrical Stimulation
Electrical stimulation continues to be widely used in the treatment of facial paralysis20,23 although there is mounting evidence that it may be contraindicated. It has been suggested that electrical stimulation may interfere with neural regeneration post peripheral nerve injury24,25 and studies proving its efficacy with facial muscles are lacking in the literature. A 1984 report by the National Center for Health Services Research concluded that "Electrotherapy treatment for Bell's palsy...has no demonstrable beneficial effect in enhancing the functional or cosmetic outcomes in patients with Bell's palsy."26

Additionally, patients who undergo electrical stimulation acutely may demonstrate more synkinesis and mass action than those who do not.27 It is difficult to produce an isolated contraction of the facial muscles using electrical stimulation due to their small size and close proximity to each other. The contraction produced causes mass action which reinforces abnormal motor patterns and can be painful.20

Angie

[MaryBKAriz]

We had a PT (a doctor) talk at our AN meeting in Phoenix yesterday saying not to use the stimulator. I do not deal with the issue so I wasn't concentrating on her talk when she said that, so I can't tell you details.

Take care,

Mary

[lori67]

There is actually a difference between a battery operated massage type unit and e-stim.  E-stim needs to be done by a therapist, although some people with Bell's Palsy have been know to purchase the units themselves.  There are little sticky pads placed on your skin and an electrical current actually goes through your skin to the muscle.  It actually has been shown to work quite well in Bell's Palsy, when the facial nerve is not physically damaged, just affected by a virus - the nerve itself is still intact.

With the type of facial nerve damage that results from surgery, e-stim has been shown to increase the chances of synkinesis, so the majority of therapists do not use it for us - only for true Bell's Palsy.

If the unit you have is just like a little massager, it's probably not going to do any damage itself to the nerve - it's just going to help loosen up the muscle and maybe make it feel better.  No different than applying heat or massaging with with your hand.  I don't think you've done any damage - as long as it's not sending electric currents into you, it's not going to touch the nerve anyway.  Maybe your nerve has just healed enough that you're starting to see some movement now.

Lori

[Jan D]

I'll chime in here, as one who had very little facial movement until last year, when I visited Diana Farragher in England.

She is a physiotherapist, who deals with AN's on a daily basis, along with many other conditions.  I have been using the "Nuromed" (Trophic Electrical Stimulation) since that time (with a few months lapse, which I'll explain shortly) and have now seen some marked improvement.  It has been slow, but since I've waited 40 years for improvement, I'll take anything at this point.

After I came back home with the machine (uses a battery, with two stimulator leads and two grounding leads), I used it for a couple of months (3 hours per night).  I then met a woman who was selling facial products which purportedly brought back movement to the face.  She said she had been working with AN patients (later found out to be untrue) and had great results with them.  Since the machine was a bit cumbersome, I decided to try her products.  She told me that the machine would cause atrophy of muscles, which scared me to death!  Well, long story short, after four months of using her products, there was no improvement at all.

I then posted Diana again and "confessed" that I had stopped using the machine due to the scare tactics of this other lady.  She said to just pick up the machine again and start back, which I did.  It has now been about 8 months since I have using the machine regularly and I have definitely seen improvement.  Diana makes changes to the program (via e-mail and U.S. mail every few months.)

This has been the only thing that has ever helped me, so I am definitely a supporter of the Nuromed at this point.

If you would like to learn more about Diana and her methods and the Nuromed, her website is www.dianafarragher.co.uk.  If you want to know more details about me, please send me an e-mail.

I can only speak for myself, but as one who had no hope for 40 years, this has given me some encouragement.  I would urge anyone who has been scared off of the facial stimulator to take a second look and contact a physiotherapist who has had experience with this type of treatment.

I joined this site last year after seeing Diana - she was the one who told me about it. 

Jan D

[jazzfunkanne]

Hi Jan, i have also been using the "the tropical facial machine" from diane Farragher since i was 2 months post op, i used it everyday for 3 hours in the first 9 month, now i used it about once a week i have also seen good improvments. Diana is coming to talk at our next Brisitish Ass. AN meeting in Glasgow at the end of the month, if anyone has any questions for her or would like me to pass on there email address feel free to send them.

[Debbi]

I just saw this post, so thought I'd chime in.  There seems to be a lot of differing opinions about "electrical" facial stimulation.  What I have been told is that a hand held vibrator (like a z-vibe) doesn't hurt - as Lori pointed out, it is pretty much the same as any other type of massage and it does feel good.  I use mine almost every day just to relieve some of the soreness and stiffness in my face. 

My neurotologist is one who believes that electrical stimulation (the type involving wires) can, in fact, be quite harmful to facial nerve recovery.  I'm not a doctor, so can't comment on this other than to repeat his cautions.

I am at six months and started pretty close to a Grade 6 immediately post surgery.  I am between a 3 and 4 now, so have seen quite a bit of improvement.  Still can't quite close my eye which is why I can't officially be a 3 yet...

I do have a fair amount of residual pain in my face, head and neck, so I get regular massages (focusing soley on those areas) and use warm compresses during the day and evening.  I also, unfortuntaly, use pain meds some days.  It IS getting better, though so everyone going through facial issues - KEEP THE FAITH!  Hey, I can even make a small smile now - it's a little asymetrical, but a smile never the less.

I will not, however, be eating the drumstick on Thanksgiving since my lower lip still gets sucked in when I try to eat things like that.   

Debbi, all white meet turkey for me...and Z-vibe in hand...

[TPAK]

Hi Jan, i have also been using the "the tropical facial machine" from diane Farragher since i was 2 months post op, i used it everyday for 3 hours in the first 9 month, now i used it about once a week i have also seen good improvments. Diana is coming to talk at our next Brisitish Ass. AN meeting in Glasgow at the end of the month, if anyone has any questions for her or would like me to pass on there email address feel free to send them.

Hi Jazz am new to this site and came across your post. i wanted to know if the tropical facial machine worked for you and where you where able to buy it. hope you can provide me the details.. i just want my smile and face back. I have seen so many docs who have basically not given me any treatment other than there is no hope or just continue with facial exercises. at this point i have given up  on docs and just want to try something of my own based on research

[keithmac]

Hi Jan, i have also been using the "the tropical facial machine" from diane Farragher since i was 2 months post op, i used it everyday for 3 hours in the first 9 month, now i used it about once a week i have also seen good improvments. Diana is coming to talk at our next Brisitish Ass. AN meeting in Glasgow at the end of the month, if anyone has any questions for her or would like me to pass on there email address feel free to send them.

Hi Jazz am new to this site and came across your post. i wanted to know if the tropical facial machine worked for you and where you where able to buy it. hope you can provide me the details.. i just want my smile and face back. I have seen so many docs who have basically not given me any treatment other than there is no hope or just continue with facial exercises. at this point i have given up  on docs and just want to try something of my own based on research

I'm catching up with recent postings and noticed you'd written a query in this very old thread - this may not get you the replies you're hoping for and it might be better to start a new thread.